Chapter 853 Actually, We Never Left
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Filled with the excitement of being congratulated by the Saintess for having slain what he believed might be the actual reincarnation of "the one that betrayed our divine mother", the Paladin Captain laughed, raising his magic sword, and swinging it down, attempting to kill both Celes and Nia at the same time.
"DIE, YOU SINNERS!"
SLAAASH!
A powerful slashing wave of sword and mana energy emerged from his sword, rushing towards Celes as he tried to create a barrier made of water, but was quickly cut down! The barrier exploded, splattering water everywhere, seconds before the slashing attack were to reach his frail and small body.
"CELES!"
His mother screamed, harboring any strength she had left to run in front of her son while throwing him down into the ground, attempting to take the hit for him.
CRASH!
The powerful slashing wave reached her, as a huge impact shook the entire house once more, as it was about to collapse. The people around the area walked outside their houses, watching the commotion from afar.
"Hahaha….! You foolish woman, it isn't as if putting yourself in front of your son would have saved him, now both of you are cut down to halves!" Laughed the Paladin Captain, as the smoke slowly dissipated, only to reveal a mass of darkness in front of the two!
"What?!" The Captain suddenly felt a chill down his spine as he stepped back.
The strange mass of darkness was shaped like a huge hand, which quickly opened several eyes on each finger, glaring at him. Invisible rays of energy came from them, trying to petrify him!
"Urgh?! Petrification?! What is this beast you've hidden, woman?!"
The Paladin stepped back as he saw his hand beginning to turn into stone, but his rings and magic powers activated, easily inhibiting the spreading of the petrification, and canceling it!
"Heh, foolish monster, did you thought you could petrify the captain of the paladins?!" Laughed the man, whose blue hair and sharp green eyes shone brightly, as if they were artificially dyed that color. "Paladins! Stand your ground! Slay the beast and-"
"That's enough with you." The "beast" quickly shapeshifted into Maria, surprising everyone. "Nia, we tried our best to stay hidden, but as we told you, these bastards wasn't going to let you go just because we went away."
"M-Maria…!" Nia cried.
"And also your kid's pretty awesome. Looks like we got ourselves a special boy here." Maria giggled.
"A-Ah…!" Celes just realized he had done all kinds of awesome things. "J-Just what happened, what did I do?!"
"We can talk about this once things are done. For now, you two, get here. Being out there is dangerous." Maria swiftly spread her shadows, absorbing Nia, and Celes inside.
"Wait! What do you think you're doing, ghostly woman?! Wait! Y-You're the adventurer, isn't it?! What sort of being are you?!"
The Captain asked those words as he rushed towards Maria, sword in hand, his aura exploded as ten swords made of water emerged around him, and he fired them towards her and her shadows, trying to interrupt her from taking away the suspects.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
However, Maria yawned as she waved her bare, beautiful, and delicate hand as she easily blocked all the swords made of water with her smallest finger's slightly long black colored nail.
"So lame."
"DIEEE!"
The captain screamed his lungs out, swinging his sword against Maria a dozen times, powerful slashing blows that could massacre most monsters outside the city were easily blocked by Maria's tiny nail.
Crack, crack, crack…!
CRASH!
"W-What?! My sword… Cracked by your mere nails?!"
The Paladin Captain gasped, stepping back in horror and disbelief. Maria smiled back at him maliciously and mischievously, her red eyes glowing brightly.
"What's wrong? Weren't you going to kill me?"
She opened her arms, as her shadows spread around the entire house, quickly summoning her family to fight. The seven other Paladins could not go help their captain, as they were forced to fight Maria's family.
"Paladins, you must support- Ah!"
The Captain immediately noticed it, of course, as he saw the entire house collapsing as Maria's family started clashing against the Paladins, both he and Maria were forced to quickly step out, as he stood above the rubble while glancing at Maria slowly float into the night sky.
She resembled a supernatural entity like nothing he had seen before, her body was translucent and phantasmagoric, emanating a threatening aura, so strong it made his spine become paralyzed and his legs tremble… without realizing, his entire body was drenched on sweat.
"Hahh… Hahhh… W-What… What are you?!"
He pointed his sword at her, as wings made of water emerged out of his back, his sword was severely cracked, but it still remained powerful, imbued with a mighty magic Maria had not seen before.
"I am Maria, nice to meet you, Sir Paladin." Maria smiled. "So, now we'll do things two ways. You guys go away right now and never return or… you fight me and die."
"Tch…! You might be a capable phantom magician, but it's not as if I haven't fought my fair share of malicious curse casters before!" The Paladin Commander smiled cockily, trying to convince himself she was merely using illusions to play with his mind. "By the Blessings of the Goddess of Water, I will not falter before your tricks and illusions!"
"Illusions?" Maria laughed. "You're really delusional. Okay then. Just for today I'm going to fight physically, bare fist style. Prepare yourself."
"A delicate woman like you fighting with her fists?!" Laughed the Paladin Captain. "I'll crush you to smithereens, you trickster! RAAAAH!"
The Paladin flew into the skies, reaching Maria in an instant as he swung his sword towards her! He was at least comparable to an A Rank monster in strength and speed, that much Maria could guess.
Maybe in the past, he would have been a really hard foe to fight and defeat, but right now? Maria was merely trying to enjoy herself and crush his confidence and pride before taking away his life.
"[One Hundred Sea Tridents]!"
The Paladin swung his sword, combining it with his aura to the point it resembled as if each of his strikes looked like a huge trident made of water.
However, Maria simply pushed her bare fist towards him.
BAAAMMM…!
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